Caelan Doris
Born: Ballina, Mayo. April 2nd, 1998 (age 26).
Caps: 49 (9 tries).
Position: Number eight.
Height: 1.93m (6ft 4in)
Why the hell is Ireland v France on at 2.15pm on a Saturday? This is a rugby rivalry for the ages
Caelan Doris v Gregory Alldritt head-to-head: Two outstanding number eights set to battle it out
Owen Doyle: World Rugby should leave the lineout alone and fix the scrum
Caelan Doris and Jack Conan winning fitness battles for Ireland’s clash with France
Weight: 111kg (245lb; 17st 7lb)
Did you know? Educated in Blackrock College, while growing up in Lacken, Co Mayo. Doris’s father, Chris, was an artist in residence at Mayo County Council, who once spent 40 days at the top of Croagh Patrick interviewing pilgrims as part of a ‘social sculpture’. Though a true-blue Leinster rugby man, Doris supports Mayo in Gaelic football. Has a degree in psychology.
Strengths: His carrying and tackling numbers are invariably among the highest and, with his footwork, among the most dynamic too, and he usually has big, match-influencing moments. Many strings to his bow, he times his poaches effectively and not many backs could have made that pass for Garry Ringrose’s try two years ago. His presence this Saturday is vital.
He also benefits from the Irish system. A year younger than Alldritt, Doris has played 140 games for province and country (48 less than Alldritt), and this season he has accumulated markedly less minutes (1,031) in 14 games. Doris has quickly embraced captaincy too. A truly exceptional rugby player.
Gregory Alldritt
Born: Toulouse, 23rd March 1997 (age 27).
Caps: 54 (6 tries).
Position: Number eight.
Height: 1.91m (6ft 3in)
Weight: 115kg (254lb; 18st 2lb).
Did you know? Alldritt’s father, Terence, moved to Stirling in Scotland aged 12 after being born in Kenya and attending boarding school in South Africa.
Alldritt regularly visited Scotland as a child and his brother, Scott, has played for Stewart’s Melville in Edinburgh.
Strengths: Natural born leader who has captained La Rochelle in all their clashes with Leinster and, fuelled by Ronan O’Gara, has evidently built up some antipathy towards Irish teams. He actually has a winning record against Leinster, having scored a key try in the semi-final win in an empty Stade Deflandre in the 2021 semi-final, while he was a key absentee when Leinster won on a sodden day in La Rochelle last season. Even the indefatigable Alldritt had to take a post-World Cup break.
He invariably plays a huge amount of minutes for both La Rochelle and France, whom he also captained in last season’s Friday night opener in Marseille. A year older than Doris, he has played 188 games for club and country (48 more) and this season has accumulated 1,355 minutes in total (324 more than his Irish counterpart).
Colossal work-rate, too, as both an ever-willing and direct carrier, and a powerful tackler, who always seems to be in the coalface of the game. Typically, in six games against Leinster and five against Ireland, he has played 80 minutes every time.
Previous meetings: Played 9, Doris 5 wins, Alldritt 4 wins.
